OLA — A crowd of about 75 citizens attended a public meeting hosted by the Two Rivers School District to receive more information about the proposed millage increase of 3.5 mills, which would bring the total millage rate for the district to 39.1 mills. A special election for the proposal is scheduled for Feb. 14.

The district requested an increase of 10.8 mills in July and the proposal was soundly defeated with 1,360 (84 percent) voting against and 251 (16 percent) voting for the increase.

The original mill-increase was requested to fund a sports complex and elementary school to be located near the high school building. After the failure of the 10.8-mill increase proposal, the board opted to request the smaller increase to fund only a new elementary building, which it deemed a necessity.

A 2004 evaluation of the district’s facilities conducted by the Arkansas Division of Public Schools Academic Facilities and Transportation (ADPSAFC) showed deficiencies at the district’s elementary buildings in Plainview and Ola. Construction of a new building was deemed more cost effective than renovation after further evaluation by the ADPSAFC.

Dr. Charles Stein, director of the ADPSAFC informed the board as it prepared for the next election he would attend a public meeting to address any questions the public might have. Dr. Tony Wood, deputy commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education as well as members of the school board and administration, the architect and construction managers were also available to answer questions.

Brochures detailing frequently asked questions, such as ‘How does the district compare to the state average?’ were distributed. The brochure also included a table showing the tax increase based on real estate values. Property valued at $50,000 would see a yearly increase of $35, or $2.92 per month.

Ray Beardsley, vice president of the district’s fiscal agent First Security Beardsley Public Finance, said if the millage fails, since state funding was already approved to cover about half of the estimated $10 million project that funding would be lost and the district would have to begin the process again, with no guarantee the funding would be approved. The district would also not be available to apply for assistance again until 2014 or 2015 if the district opts to renovate the current facilities.

“What they would do is look at the old facilities and decide, in their opinion, ‘Is it worth putting more state dollars into the facilities in the condition and the age they’re in?’” Beardsley said. “We would have to start the whole process over again. The project is to build a new elementary. Any change from that, we’re two to four years away from funding before we’ll have an opportunity to do anything else.”

Beardsley then opened the floor for questions from the public. One citizen asked if the district would save money by cutting administration positions if a new elementary is constructed. Currently the district has elementary facilities at Plainview and Ola. The new facility would be located at the near half-way point between the communities.

Interim superintendent Vernon “Cotton” Morrison said the board would make decisions regarding personnel to comply with state requirements, but some savings would be possible.

Another attendee spoke to the necessity of the new building and said he did not vote for the original millage proposal.

“I don’t think this would be an issue — there wouldn’t even be a meeting — if we had taken a more common sense approach with the first election,” the man said. “It got more people registered to vote than it did anything. I was 100 percent against the first one, but I’m 100 percent for this one because this is a common sense approach.”

In response, Morrison, who lives in the district, admitted he voted against the millage proposal in July, three months before he was named interim superintendent after Sherry Holliman was suspended with pay in late October.

“I really thought they had the facilities at Ola and Plainview to educate our kids,” Morrison said. “They had to. They had a high school there. They had all of those kids there. They had to have plenty of good facilities.”

Morrison said after visiting the campuses as interim superintendent he now knows better.

“If I could perform magic and make some of those old buildings disappear and I could take the other buildings and move them together. At Ola, If I could take that gymnasium and the better part of that high school and move it down next to it, and move the home ec building in there. ... But I can’t do that.”

Early voting for the special election runs from Feb. 7 to Feb. 13 at the Danville, Dardanelle and Perry County Courthouses.

For the Feb. 14 election, polling locations are Ola Community Center for Ward and Mason precincts; Mount George Church of Christ for Magazine 1, Magazine 2, Centerville and Galla Rock precincts; Rover Fire Department for Rover, Ions Creek and Crawford; Plainview VFW for Lamar, Gilkey and Danville; Fourche Valley Cultural Center for Gravelly, Bluffton, Briggsville, Compton, Jones/Little Texas and Lafave. In Perry County, polling locations are Casa City Hall for Casa; Perry Fire Department for Lake and Rose Creek Community Building for Rose Creek and White Eagle in Conway County.